June 5, 2017

Gearing Up for Some Summer Fun with Parragon Books

Summer is only a few weeks away and we can't be anymore excited here in the Our Everyday Harvest household. We're looking forward to enjoying our time outside in the warm weather, and even making a few fun outings in the upcoming months. Whether you're planning on taking several outside trips or choosing to stay close to home, Parragon Books has you set with a fun collection of summer picks.

This one is so neat, I almost wanted to claim it for myself! The kit offers, not one, not two, but fifteen different game ideas for marble play. Inside the box, you'll find twenty-five marbles in all different sizes, an instructional book that lists plenty of fun games that can be played, as well as pieces to create three different board games. The board games include a marble maze, an archboard game where you must get the marbles into the arch doorways from a distance, and one of my personal favorites, pinball! Yes, there is a pinball board game included! Woohoo! You line up the marble, pull the launcher, and watch it fly up across the board to different rest areas that have multiple point values. Everyone got in on the fun with this one! It's definitely a keeper and one that we'll be pulling out quite frequently for some game night fun.

When my husband was in the service, he had the privilege of working alongside several Boatswain's Mates. Every so often, he would bring home a paracord bracelet or some other neat looking design made out of rope that one of his friends had created. I've always been in awe of how they could come up with all of these contraptions made out of ropes–what a handy skill to learn. Needless to say, we were totally exited when we opened up this month's Parragon shipment and found the kit! Know Your Knots includes two different types of rope, one 1/8 inch and one 1/4 inch, each six and a half feet in length. A handy instructional book covers some of your most practical knots to tie and is broken down into Multipurpose Knots (Sheepshank, Constrictor, Tarbuck, etc), Life-Support Knots (Tape, Figure-eight, Reever, etc.), and Boating Knots (Bowline, Carrick Bend, Fisherman's Bend, etc.). Inside the book, there's also helpful information on forming loops and bends, as well as knot lore and expert tips. The kit offers tons of knot making fun for the whole family. Although, I do have to be honest, while this is a beginners book, I found that some of those knots were quite challenging to create, even with a tutorial book. It sure does take a lot of practice. I guess it also goes without saying, I do have a newfound respect for those who have mastered the amazing skill of creating loops and knots.

If you have young fans of the Justice League in your home, then Magical Story is one that you may want to add to your collection. The Justice League includes characters such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and the Green Lantern. They all team up in this new book to battle the evil Starro who wants to take over Earth. Can the Justice League save the planet? You'll just have to pick up the book and find out. One of the things that we enjoyed about this book is the metal embossed cover design. We've seen these in previous Parragon book releases, and it's a nice way to fancy up the book cover. I also have to throw out a side note here, I find it fascinating that these superhero characters are still around for so many generations. This makes it all the more fun for the entire family to read together.

Who doesn't enjoy throwing in a fun smiley face here and there, while texting or posting something on social media? Emoticons have been the craze for quite sometime and are continuing to grow. Everywhere you go, you'll find tons of emoticon toys and other paraphernalia. There's even an emoji movie coming out this year...crazy, huh?! We really got a kick out of this new Smiley, Crazy, Happy Emoticon Sticker Activity Book, which includes over 2000 stickers. Wow! (insert surprise emoticon here...oh wait here it is 😮). What's also neat about this book is that it contains a ton of fun activities that offer different learning experiences such as pattern recognition, matching, and even describing different emotions, which totally makes sense given the overall theme. The extra personality quizzes that are included only add to the extra fun that this entire book represents.

How fun is this one?! What a great addition to our summer fun with Parragon! Doodle and Draw Spots, Stripes and Squiggles is right up our alley, since this book is absolutely perfect for young children who are just learning to draw. Each page contains pictures that allow children to complete patterns and create new ones by drawing simple lines, squiggles, zigzags, shapes, and so much more. There is a ton of doodling fun to be had in this book, while also allowing little ones to master their coloring, drawing and pattern skills.We love it!

You've heard of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but what about 4000 Stickers Under the Sea? You just have to love the title of this book. When we found this in our latest Parragon shipment, we were elated. If you've been reading my blog, then you may have remembered me mentioning my son's love for seas creatures. It's no surprise to say that this one was a hit for him and one of his favorites. As the title mentions, the book includes 4000 stickers all pertaining to sea life. The book itself is rather thick, not only does it include all of those fabulous stickers, but over 50 additional activities for the kiddos to complete. From adding sea horse babies to the matching mommy and daddy sea horses, to building a sea floor with stickers, there are plenty of unique ocean-themed tasks to complete, that are not only fun, but even educational at times. This activity and sticker book is an absolute must for all the little sea-creature, ocean loving children out there. On top of doing the activities together, my son enjoys it when we just sit and flip through the pages while taking in the illustrations and bright colors throughout.

For more ideas on how to enjoy the summer with Parragon Books be sure to connect with them on social media:

2 comments:

I remembered that your son likes sea creatures, so I figured he would really like that book. 4000 stickers is a lot! Those marble games look like lots of fun. My dad gave my son some marbles not too long ago, and he likes them. What a great set of things to do in the summer!

Thanks for being such a loyal reader, Brenda. I appreciate it! :-) Yes, the 4000 stickers are going to keep him busy for quite a while, lol! You should definitely check out the Marble Mania kit for your son. It has very simple components, but it's a ton of fun all the same.